
Two Falkland Islands fishing companies were awarded in Brussels last week the Superior Taste Award which was extended to Marfrío a Spanish processing company that works with Patagonian squid caught in the Islands waters.

King Willem-Alexander became the first Dutch male monarch in more than a century Tuesday as his mother Beatrix abdicated to end a 33-year reign. His popular Argentine born wife became Queen Maxima.

Argentina which the IMF censured for underreporting inflation less than three months ago after three warnings over the past two years, last week authorized the deposit of 400 million dollars with the Washington-based lender to increase the nation’s access to emergency cash.

Italy's new government line-up brings together personalities from across the political spectrum, from Silvio Berlusconi's apparent successor to a crime fighter and a militant feminist from the radical party. Some of the key names of the ‘grand coalition’ members tasked with tackling the social and economic crisis in recession-hit Italy-.

Europe is expected to accelerate a shift away from its austerity-first agenda this week as the new Italian government changes course and a German-Spanish investment pact underscores a renewed focus on combating record unemployment. This comes on the background of much criticized statements from European Commission president Jose Barroso who said ‘austerity was over’.

Deposits of Uruguayans in overseas banks experienced a drop in the last quarter of 2012, the second consecutive fall (3%), and now stand at 7.18bn dollars according to preliminary data released by the Bank for International Settlements.

An Argentine radical group involved in actions against cruise vessels and maritime traffic with the Falkland Islands has promised a similar campaign against Lan Chile offices in Buenos Aires, the airline which flies the only link of the Islands with the continent.

Argentina will make available a Coast Guard vessel in support of the ‘Antarctic Blue Whale Project’ and associated research activities planned for the 201314 season and coming years, according to a release from the Southern Ocean Research Partnership, SORP.

By Harold Briley - The Falkland Islands, South Georgia or the British Antarctic Territories stand to benefit from an ambitious science research project to commemorate Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 trans-Antarctic expedition.

This week penguins are celebrated through World Penguin Day (Thursday April 25) and Sarah Crofts from Falklands Conservation explains why more research is desirable on them in the Islands.